Sales Director jobs in Fargo, ND

COMPANY BACKGROUND:

Red River Valley & Western Railroad Company (RRVW) is a short line railroad with operations in North Dakota and Minnesota.  RRVW has provided freight rail transportation services to the region since 1987 with over 575 miles of mainline track operations that provide service to ~70 customers in ~50 communities.  Moving agriculture products is in RRVW’s DNA, and RRVW is proud to support the numerous local communities throughout North Dakota and Minnesota that rely on RRVW to provide a supply chain solution that allows local agriculture products to reach world markets.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Partnering with direct reports as well as internal and external stakeholders, the Director of Marketing and Sales oversees and leads the Red River Valley & Western Railroad (RRVW) efforts in the key areas of Customer Service, Business Development, and Market Analytics with responsibilities for growing a strong team that provides exceptional freight rail transportation services to the customers RRVW serves and the communities in which RRVW operates.  This position is responsible for establishing goals and objectives along with measures and metrics to ensure that activities and initiatives align with and support the achievement of overall RRVW strategies.

Key elements of success will include: (1) provide best in class service for the RRVW customer base, (2) driving opportunistic growth in an evolving logistics marketplace, (3) lead a high-performance team that supports strategic objectives, and (4) create value through the integration and collaboration of railroad assets, supply chain knowledge, market knowledge, and business development knowledge.

This position will collaborate closely with the President, the Board of Directors, VP Operations, VP Finance and Administration, and other leaders within the RRVW organization to develop and implement key strategies and initiatives that are critical for the long-term success of the railroad, team members, customers, and the communities in which RRVW operates.

A successful individual will possess the following characteristics and skills:

• Desire and ability to lead by bringing bold thought leadership to the customer service, sales, business development and marketing functions.
• The ability to balance the intuitive and analytical while also systematically prioritizing risk and opportunities. Has the proven ability to blend high level, strategic brand building skills with short-term, sales-focused initiatives.
• Excellent instincts and a track record of working on successful deals, preferably in the rail and transportation industries.
• Not afraid to pursue innovative ideas and take calculated risks to continue to elevate and bring value to all RRVW stakeholders.
• An outstanding relationship builder with strong communication skills who can articulate concepts, initiatives, and goals with clarity to a range of constituents.

Key responsibilities of this position include:

• Drives RRVW’s marketing, sales, service, and business development strategies
• Advances and strengthen RRVW’s relationships and partnership with customers and connecting carriers
• Maintains a strong commitment to customer service and ethical conduct by working closely with customers and the RRVW Operations team
• Leads a commitment to strong financial performance and continuous improvement by implementing best practices for superior customer service in an innovative manner
• Act as Role Model to demonstrate and inspire customer service, ethics, and responsiveness
• Identify, capture, and maintain business opportunities for unit train, carload, transload, and car storage segments
• Work with connecting Class I rail carriers to capture new traffic
• Participate and provide RRVW leadership within targeted trade and customer associations
• Reconcile actual revenue and volume results vs. budget in a monthly report presented to the President and Board
• Monitor and provide timely agriculture and carload market updates to all departments, President, and Board
• Develops and supports strategic company and department goals
• Prepares and administers annual performance reviews for direct reports
• Coordinates with Class 1 and other short line connections and transportation partners as needed
• Coordinates with the Operations team to ensure service requirements for customers are met
• Manages time effectively and can effectively prioritize in a dynamic and changing environment
• Builds upon the RRVW Core Values and culture of (1) Safety, (2) Teamwork, (3) Excellence, and (4) Pride

Limited travel is required.  This position works in an office environment as well as in the field with customers.

This position reports directly to the President.

POSITIONS SUPERVISED:

This role has leadership responsibilities for six total positions:

• Carload Sales Representative (direct report)
• Customer Service Supervisor (direct report)
• Assistant Car Distributor / OEP Administrator
• Operations Support Specialist (3)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience
• Prior experience in agribusiness or grain marketing experience
• General knowledge of rail transportation and operations
• Demonstrated ability to develop new customers as well as nurture new and existing relationships
• Proven ability to teach and develop sales, marketing, and customer service personnel
• Strong interpersonal communication skills with ability to collaborate and build a consensus with internal and external stakeholders
• Self-starter with a can-do attitude which is demonstrated by showing persistence in overcoming obstacles along with setting and achieving challenging goals
• Strong analysis and critical thinking skills, acts on opportunities in a timely manner, ability to resolve problems in a timely manner, responds well to questions and demonstrates strong communication skills
• Strong business acumen – understands the business implications of decisions
• Possess the ability to read a situation quickly, good at focused listening and can effectively negotiate demanding situations and settle differences equitably
• Ability to create strong morale and spirit in his /her team, fosters open dialogue, defines success in terms of the whole team, and creates a feeling of inclusion and belonging in the team
• Embraces change and is adaptable and flexible in an evolving supply chain marketplace
• Demonstrates ethical business practices through honesty and integrity
• Proven experience in supporting, developing, building, and retaining top talent
• Basic computer skills (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE:

• Master’s degree is a plus
• Previous railroad experience as a carrier or a shipper
• 10 years of progressive responsibilities in agribusiness or grain marketing
• 5-10 years of supervisory experience in railroad operations or related field
• Advanced computer skills (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

BENEFITS:

In addition to standard benefits provided by the company (salary, holiday, vacation) this position is also eligible for:

• Annual Bonus
• Annual Incentive Compensation
• 401k
• Health, Vision, and Dental Benefits
• Life insurance and long-term disability benefits
• Company vehicle
• Company cell phone

JOB LOCATION:

This position is based out of the Red River Valley & Western Railroad Company offices in Breckenridge, MN, approximately forty-five minutes south of the Fargo/Moorhead metropolitan area.

Relocation assistance may be offered for this position.